The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-08-26
TIE DRY GOODS TRADE.
"eKrH" INTERVIEWS THE MANAGER
OF A RICH NEW YORK HOUSE.

Rxtraets from the Conversation Of - bu"''
ness man-Amorica's silk TrRde-An Ex-
tr~aordInary GrOwth-BrOadClOth- KID
bons-Best Months for Trade.
''what is the greatest fact in the dry
goods business!"
''The greatest recent fact is the appro-
priatlon Of the silk trade by the Americans.
Nearly all the silks used are now mace ia
this country, whereas it was supposed pre-
posterous twenty years ago for the Amerl-
cans to undertake to weave SILK. MOI only
has this work been done by American
capital, but it has brought to the country
foreigners who had failed on the other
side Of the ocean, and have replaced them
selves in wealth in this country. Here Is
the firm Of j. One of the men In that
house came to me about a fortnight
and said, while We were joking together:
do you know what l am worth now! lie
then told me that he was worth SoOO,OOO.
Now, about fifteen years ago he and his
family came to the United States bank
rupts from France. They commenced
business in New York, weaving in one
room. and IL they had another o to
1.-Two in they were luck. They went on
taking ~GdvantI.3 OF q country where
everybody wants C. elk dress, until they
have a Mc gnifi"ent factory, and rs they
never lost their French Bohemian charac-
terlstlcs, they entertain e good deal In the
Open cir and after their own fashion with
musicales and breakfasts"
HAS the introduction OF silk into
American manufacture cheapened the
erticleY'
"Oh my, yes. l was looking over a
bin we had against an estate recently.
Sometimes, when there is O large GUS
toner or q large family in long relations
70 the store, the account is allowed to III
over a period Of years, payments being
made on il from time to time. ] called
the attention of my associates to the prices
demanded for hat silk-$G and 81 o yard.
Now about the very highest silk we sell
Is 81. 80 yard. If anybody comes in and
goes above So for a silk, we open our eyes
and think tho world is coming to nm end.
In those 0 d days So a yard was about the
average fCc q good silk. We sell black
silks for 7 inety cents q yard, and they go
even lowe than that"
What has caused the m con-
sumption IT these silks?"
''Thc 4 mocratic habits and feeling Of
equality; every servant girl, every shop
girl, want u silk dress, and she wants to
walk in tie street with it. Not ever in
Lyons arr ladies' seen on the streets
wearing ks. So America supplies the
most mag liicent market perhaps On the
globe for cheap silks, and New York city
leads the Ountry. The women here want
to be styl; h."
"Do yea now sell as much broadcloth
as foCmerIy?''
mo. The only persons who buy
broadclott suits now are those who want
TO wear a cloth six years. Those old
fashioned people are very scarce. Light
fIgartd goods, such as the Americans
make or the French or the Germans and
English suit these times much better than
heavy, stiff broadcloths. Consequently,
the English ~broadcloth trade has suffered,
not from competition, fot they still do
about al there is Of it. IL has been cut
down by q want of consumption. The
Americans wear checks, figures, mixed
goods, watch are not expected to last more
than u year"
''iIow do you divide the dry goods bust
nceS in relative Importance Of branches?n
"At the head is the silk department.
Next come dress goods. Finally we put
housekeeping goods, such as tablecloths.
napkins, blankets. silk still being about
the highest in price and the most in de-
mand makes the aggregate of sales in that
department the highest
DO the Americana make many rib
bons?"
They make cheap ribbofe, gay rib
bons, those things which look pretty, but
they Go not go into the Swiss aud Trench
ribbon business, with very elaborate bro
caied and embossed designs. TIE
American taste is getting very near tbs
American way Of manufacture. For a
cool while sensible women wouli not Inv
American silks, and 10 they had to buy
them un.lcr tho delusion TINT they were
foreign silks. When they found outsthat
they he'd been cheated they lad to
como i'm
Which are the hest months in tho
year fer business in New York city. ana
w,licia arc the worstsn
Tho best month q December. Christ.
mas and New Years to-cthcr make d rs,i-
vcrsal holiday. Tho hebrews arc as stcnt
for New Years Gs the Christians ere FER
ChriJtmas. In rlany cases they berin n,
hly the Christmas goods six weeks and
{ 20 months before Christmas sres
Jnnuary y also o good Iaonth Ia the re-
tai stores, BECAUSE thea housewives start
20 make up their summer goods, and to lie
FeaGy Tor the incoming year, they rcplen-
ISL Their linen closets, overlook their bed
cling, tear down Their curtains, etc. Feb
rnary Ii n little less cffecsiye thar .Tan,-
ary. The three suusmc- rsontNs show
me greatest s~hrinkagc, cr rather from,
July 70 September n-'Geth" IN Cincin-
nasi Enquirer.
lnsids Points.
= see,p said q friend % the editor a.
Dal cta daily that Jon call tiiess papers Won
are printing now the second editios.-how a.
they differ from those you were running of
| half mn ho,,,. ~~o41 "